Halo, if you haven't already use the language of the 'essential and desirable criteria' in the job description. The function of the cover letter or statement is to show how you meet them.

Hi,

Can't promise it will work but assuming this is word, this has worked for me:
Change the endnote setting to end of section rather than end of document, and then insert a page break after the endnotes.
http://www.ehow.com/how_3391266_add-information-after-endnote-word.html for a step-by-step version.

Ketan - I think you are in the US? Does your school have an immigration advisor - if so I'd ask for advice there or consult an immigration lawyer. I know the US is very strict and that if you break their rules, it can mean that you can't reenter the country, so I think you need to be very well-advised on whether you have any chances of remaining if you drop out of the PhD.

A PGDip tends to be the taught part of the MSc without the research project. There is a perception problem as it is often awarded when someone has failed the MSc overall but passed sufficient taught credits to receive a PGDip. Therefore my gut reaction would be that you would be better doing a full MSc unless you know that in this specific sector, the qualification is not viewed with scepticism.

Louise - it's almost definitely not too late for an interruption of studies, so if you think that would help, then I'd suggest pursuing that option with your supervisors asap. Have you told them how you're feeling? Honestly, I think if you've decided you don't want an academic career, you've really nothing to lose in telling them you don't understand the theory and don't know how to apply it. It's in their interests too that you complete successfully, even if it's for an MPhil, particularly because you've had research council funding, so maybe a blunt discussion along the lines of 'we all know this isn't going to be an excellent thesis, what would need to be done to make it good enough?', so that you all know exactly where you are, would help. I'd also second the suggestion from charliebrown to have a look at a couple of other theses in your area - sometimes seeing actual examples makes things click better.

Increasingly non-academic functions are being outsourced or shared between universities, so it will probably be more corporate than you think. You might not even work on a campus - most of the procurement for my employer is done in a business park about 100 miles away for example. Unfortunately universities tend to adopt all of the worst and none of the best practice from the corporate world....
I'm not sure how transferable such a job would be to Germany or to other sectors either if I'm honest - I have been told by administrator colleagues that they are not taken seriously by non-university potential employers, as it's assumed (incorrectly) that working for a university is stress-free. Have you been to have a chat with your university career service yet? I think they'd be able to give you a better idea about the different possibilities.

I suspect it's because you come from a country known for having a strong economy and jobs, but want to start your career in a country with high unemployment among young people including graduates.

Or even a university here that is teaching focussed - there's a lot of difference in the role and expectations of a lecturer in a research-focussed and a teaching-focussed department.

There's an American equivalent of the Times Higher Ed Supplement called the Chronicle of Higher Education - it has a busy forum on its website. I'd suggest posting there to find out how feasible it is. And how likely you would be to be considered if you haven't the right to work in the US. From what I've read there, it might be quite hard. If you're interested in teaching in a community college, have you thought about further education or even secondary teaching here?

Could you try joining groups based around your hobbies and look beyond the university? Age gaps seem to matter less with shared interests. If you had friends outside the workplace, then it would matter less if you haven't got close friends at work. If you don't speak the local language, then perhaps going to classes would be a good way to meet people in a similar situation? I'm guessing from your post that religion is important for you- is there an English language church community in a neighbouring city perhaps? Even if you couldn't attend every week, maybe you could go once a month to have a sense of community? Or any other expat groups? Also even if it's on your own, try to go places and sightsee at the weekend - keeping busy really can help the disconnected feeling.
Be kind to yourself - you're probably going through a bit of culture shock as well. It always takes time to settle in a new place but even more so if you're coping with a new country / language etc and the sense of not knowing how to do the most basic of things.

Assuming as your username suggests, you're in the social sciences, you should apply for both and anything else advertised anywhere. The competition for both is likely to be very high. In my social science field, you probably need 3-4 good journal articles, teaching experience in terms of having led your own modules, plus increasingly evidence of non-academic research engagement and preferably the beginnings of a track record in grant getting, to get shortlisted for a permanent lectureship, as there will be people with all this applying. They aren't much bothered about how you've gained the experience. So if you were lucky enough to get offered both, then you'd need to look at your c.v. decide where the weaknesses are and which post would offer you the chance to fill in the gaps. You won't get much teaching out of a postdoc, and you're unlikely to get much if any research done on a temporary lectureship as they are often a bit exploitative.

Because of the cuts it's difficult to get into university administration work, as they try to redploy people at risk of redundancy if jobs come available. Unless you have specific skills and experience of working for a university, the pay is also not good.

The statistics are based on the proportion of students who completed their first year (or possibly 18 months) and submitted within 4 years and completed within 5 years. It is an accountability measure (it's always existed for some research councils like the ESRC), but to be honest, if someone is properly supervised then it's not unreasonable as an expectation. Any periods of interrupted study due to illness / maternity leave etc do not count towards the target. One effect though where I work, is that we've become very reluctant to accept weaker candidates (even if self-funding) and much more likely to terminate registration after a year if no progress is being made. To be honest, I personally don't think that's a bad thing given the over-production of PhDs, but others might disagree.

Generally if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So unsolicited emails not coming via a good mailing list, offering to publish your book, inviting you to a conference somewhere nice with guaranteed acceptance, or guaranteed publication of papers in an online journal are generally warning signs that it's fishy. Either that or I've just ignored some really good opportunities in today's email... Look at other people's cvs in your field and see where they present and publish, and follow suit.

Satchi is right. Once you've done the first application it becomes much easier. Start by making sure you have a full academic cv that includes everything, then you've got the basis for your applications. Many universities have horrendous online applications - it can be helpful to start by filling in the boring, easy sections. Once you've invested so much time in listing your GCSEs etc then you have an incentive to write the awful letter of application... One tip - keep track of what you've applied to, save the applicant specification and your letter of application / suppoorting statement together. There's nothing worse than finally getting an interview and not being able to find the essential criteria again, because the advert has been taken offline, so you can't prepare properly for the interview.